Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1887-04-23

| TIC CoulunC pull the meat into
the cage because there was big
bone in it. Then he laid down. Hold
ing on to the meat with one paw, he
thrust the other paw out through the bars
and tried to push the meat inside. When
he found that his efforts were in vain he
lay still and uttered sub-cellar growl,
which indicated that he meant business.
The man in the check jumper came to his
relief with the big fork After good
deal of prying and thrusting, the meat
was released and the regal gourmand
licked it with his great red tongue. Then
he bit about a pound of meat and bone
off one corner and crunchcd it between
his iron jaws. He partly closed his eyes
in evident delight as the generous juices
ran over his palate. After eating all the
meat he licked the bone as clean as bran
new milk pan; then he licked his chops,
and lastly, his paws. After this general
cleanup he looked at his keeper as if to
say:
cold fellow, that trife only whets my
appetite"
| Come over in this corner and see the
sea lions take dinner" said Tody Hamil-
| ton.
The two black, glistening animals were
tumbling over each other in their tank,
and uttering curious, impatient banks at
the delay CT the man whose duty it was
to throw thirty pounds of smelts, herring,
or other fresh fish to them each day.
When the caterer arriH he dexterously
threw whole fish into the tank, which
were caught in the air by the sea lions,
and Swallowed whole at gulp.
The big grizzly bear, a most magniti-
cent specimen of the Americans gigau-
ticus, was engaged in scratching the back
of his neck with one of his hind feet when
the little Poonah bear, who is his cage
mate, told him the dinner hour had come
by his significant sniff. The grizzly could
not have been very hungry, for he clasped
the Poonoh in n friendly embrace, which
must have started the little bears ribs, it
was so very cordial.
That's nothing" said Mr. Hamilton :;
eff you will notice the under side of the
little fellow you will see that his fur has
been removed entirely by those little at
tentions of the grizzly. It's fun for the
big fellow. The trouble is that he don't
realized his strength"
The two bears disposed of their shares
of beef in jiffy. On five days in the
week all the carnivora are fed on beef.
Each Saturday their diet is varied by an
equal amount Of liver. The liver is said
to have beneficial effect in regulating the
health of the animals. The hyenas were
| fed with rations out of hand by the keeper,
and they acted very respectfully consider
ing their unsavory regulations. Of all the
animals, those of the cat species behave
the worst while feeding. The native
ferocity of the royal Bengal tiger-and
she is beauty, with tawny hide marked
with black stripes-came to the surface
as she dallied with her bloody piece of
beef. Her glistening eye, sinewy move
ments, and the snakelike suggestiveness
of her slowl moving tail were infallibe
indications that captivity might blunt but
could never eradicate her desire for blood.
F, She has gained the distinction of having
| killed her man, but her appetite is keen
every morning and renewed every even
ing. The panthers, iaguars, and wild
cats all share alike in the amount of
food, and all exhibit an equally ferocious
appetite. The monkeys are fed on milk,
bread, and vegetables. They are not at
/ all averse to a succulent onion now and
then, even if it is eaten without salt.
OF the herbiverous animals, the hippo
! potamus comes first in the amount con-
sumed. This blood-sweating monster cats
| about half a bale of hay each day, with an
occasional dessert in the shape of bran
mash, carrots, cabbage, etc, and he
drinks half hogshcad of water, and
still he's thirsty. But of all the animals
none can compare with the elephant for
the dignitied case and grace with which
he environs his grub. His wonderful ten
sile trunk twists wisp of hay out CT a
bale, curls it up as daintily as lady
would twist her cambria handkerchief,
and thrusts it upward and inward into
his mouth with daintiness which is in
comparable. They drink in pairs. These
mountains of flesh march along to the big
tank with stately dignity and decorum
which conveys the idea that they realize
they are the biggest things in the flesh.
They are in no hurry about drinking,
either. Everything in the neighborhood
of the tank must be touched; even the
! dydrant is carefully examined by the SEN
sitivc trunk. The ordinary everyday ele-
plant takes snifter of two gallons at
first, and keeps on repeating the dose un-
til he is outside of from eight to ten buck
etfuls. Then he goes back to his place
among his twenty-nine companions, and
resumes his hay, if it is a hay day; is not,
/ he eats an occasional cabbage, or carrot,
or half bushel Of potatoes, as the case
may be. One old veteran never drinks
from the tank. He wants his drink fresh
ly tapped, and SO he turns on the water
cock, and drinks from the spigot.
On Sunday all the animals fast, not
from choice, BIT from necessity. This
fast is regarded as a physiological ne
cessity by the keepers, and is religious
ly observed.
"And they know when Sunday comes
just as well as you do" said one of
the keepers. "You'd natcherelly think
they'd he ravenous on Monday morn
ing; but that's just where ye're off.
They hain't nothing of the kind. And
that goes to show us fellers knows our
business"
Another curious feature of the menag-
erie is the camels. They chew their hay
with curious sidelong motion. of the
Jaw. Their split upper lip and pro-